Time Shutter allows you to look at cities a hundred years ago and now. At the time of this review, you can click to choose San Fransisco or New York. View it on an iOs app for specific functionalities or use any Internet browser to interact with a Google map with placemarkers of older photos. After choosing a city, click on any of the map pins. View information and images representing both then and now with a short text history and information up to current times. View as a list to find all available landmarks. Optional registration allows you to upload your own photos of landmarks. Check back for more cities to be available in the future.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Time Shutter provides an interesting look and comparison of landmarks across two time periods. Share Time Shutter on your interactive whiteboard when discussing events of the previous century or to explore landmarks from San Francisco or New York. Have students compare images and descriptions then use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). Challenge students to create their own then and now maps using Animaps (reviewed here). Students can add text, images, and location stops!

Learn about glaciers, the Himalayas, the people, and more as you take a virtual hike to a Mount Everest. The site includes two sections: Rivers of Ice and Explore Everest. View the beautiful video and scenery as you explore panoramic images of valleys and glacier at each of the eight stops along the way through Rivers of Ice. When finished, compare the size of Himalayan Glaciers today to their size in the 1920's. The team creating the site is still collecting more to add to the images and stories.

In the Classroom

Everest: Rivers of Ice is an excellent resource for use with any unit studying glaciers and river formation. Discuss the role of climate change in the lives of the people. That section of th site includes little more than images, but these could spark observations and discussions about how climate change might affect the people of the Himalayas. View different parts of the site on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) throughout your unit. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as Wordle (reviewed here), Tagxedo (reviewed here), or WordItOut (reviewed here). Have students create online posters individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard (reviewed here) or PicLits (reviewed here.

This is the official site of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee (2012), but it goes far beyond that single event. Find information about the history of The Queen's reign. Choose The Queen's Life link to view images, information by decade, and little-known facts about Queen Elizabeth. Find interesting facts and information about coronations and regalia for the last 900 years in the Coronation section. Explore the past 60 years of the monarchy with the interactive timeline beginning with the accession through current times. Choose the Games and Learning section to take quizzes and see history "pinned" in an online gallery.

In the Classroom

Bookmark and save this site as an excellent resource for information about Queen Elizabeth, the British Monarchy, and Britain. Use it as an overlay to any study of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. If you study any British monarch or compare different systems of government, use these resources about ceremony and more to develop a sense of what the monarchy is all about, especially for American students less familiar with it. Have students use Fakebook (reviewed here) to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about Queen Elizabeth.

This dramatic video (approximately 5 minutes long) captures the view of a tsunami from a resident's perspective in Japan - without all of the extra YouTube "clutter." When viewed on this site, comments on the YouTube video are not shown. Note that when viewed on YouTube, many of the comments are inappropriate for a classroom setting. If your district blocks YouTube, this site may not be viewable. You could always view the video at home and bring it to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the video.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use this resource when discussing natural disasters such as Tsunamis. Share this short video on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Students can make observations individually or as a class and brainstorm particular items that they noticed. Use this information to discuss the formation and impact of a Tsunami. How do early warning systems work? Ask students to not just make observations of what they see, but draw inferences about the people and reactions of this and other natural disasters. Why are the people all standing on the hill to watch? Research various Tsunamis throughout history and their effects and locations. How did different government and non-government organizations handle these disasters?

"Create and Discover New Adventures on the Go" with Mosey. Find and create tours of your favorite cities, restaurants, the outdoors, and more. A "Mosey" is similar to a collection of placemarkers with your own notes and comments for Google Maps, but you do not need to be a Google aficionado to make and share one! Create a Mosey account to build your own journey including pictures and descriptions. Type in the name of any location. Mosey lists possible addresses to choose from. Add a picture from their library and a short description or comments on what to do there. Do this for each stop in your journey to create you own Mosey that includes map pins and location descriptions. Share using the url offered when finishing your Mosey. This tool is currently available to use on the web version or to "carry with you" on iOs devices. View an example (here) made in less than 10 minutes!

In the Classroom

Share some of the ready-made presentations on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Search their current presentations for those that would be useful in your class. Use Mosey to create virtual field trips to anywhere. Create Moseys for your hometown featuring interesting places to visit. Create a Mosey with state capitals, lakes and landforms, or important battlefields. Create Moseys for any mapping projects. If you are lucky enough to go on real field trips, create a Mosey telling students and chaperones what to do at each location on the trip, and have students make their own when you return! World language students can create Moseys for cultural sites -- and use their language in the comments!

Toporopa provides educational and entertaining quizzes about Europe. The quizzes vary in focus but include Countries of Europe, Rivers of Europe, Ports of Europe, Monarchies of Europe, Volcanoes of Europe, and many others. The maps offer a variety of focus from political, geographic, historical, and even economical, making this tools useful in a variety of class/subjects. Most activities are in drag and drop or multiple choice format.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore these interactives. This site could be used in world cultures, world geography, world languages, science, government, and many other subjects. Have students try the games and then research further information. For example, after finding all European countries that have a reigning monarch, have students find further information on the monarchies. Challenge the students to use a tool like Zoho Show (similar to Powerpoint, but easier and free) reviewed here to share their findings.

Next Vista offers Learning videos for teachers looking for alternatives to YouTube. At the time of this review, they offered over 1,000 videos (most useful for in the classroom). Videos are made by teachers and/or students. Search by three main topics: Light Bulbs, Global View, or Seeing Service. Better yet, use the right sidebar to search by topic: Math, Science, World Languages, History & Culture, Performing Arts, and more.Next Vista offers an extensive collection of career videos to use as a resource for exploring and discovering career opportunities. View videos directly on site or share using the link or embed code provided. Throughout the school year, Next Vista hosts video creation contests for students and teachers. Submit your own videos less than 5 minutes in length using directions provided. They even offer small prizes for winners.

In the Classroom

Explore the various topics to share with your students. In the math section, share the "How to Show Your Work" video on your projector or interactive whiteboard. There are useful videos in all sections, offered at a variety of levels. Bookmark and save this site for use throughout the year for student and teacher created videos. Challenge students to create a video to submit for one of the site's contests; who knows, they may win!

Timelapse, from Time magazine and powered by Google, is an amazing way to see how any part of the world has changed from 1984 through 2012. View incredible animations compiled from millions of satellite images. View the growth of Las Vegas, the shrinking of the Columbia Glacier, or point to any where in the world you desire. Simply type in any world location to view the change over this period of time. Zoom in and out using the tool bar provided to view the bigger (or smaller) picture. Warning: this site includes public comments that may not be appropriate in the classroom. Use the visual portion of the site and avoid the comments with students.

In the Classroom

Display the visual portions on your interactive whiteboard. Have students discuss the changes they see. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings from two years using Easel.ly, reviewed here or Venngage reviewed here. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare and contrast differences then and now. Explore and discuss the effects of climate changes and urban expansion using images on Timelapse.

Learn about Olympic winter sports with this interesting guide from ESPN. Although geared toward the 2010 games, this site contains valuable information for any Winter Olympics competition. Choose a sport to view basic facts, important dates, and information on stars of the sport. Choose the history link to learn about previous Winter Olympics with information such as dates, key moments, and medal winners.

In the Classroom

Share this site with students to provide an overview of Winter Olympic sports, the history, and some of the key figures in each event. Have groups of students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Easel.ly, reviewed here or Venngage reviewed here.

Follow the official website of the Olympic movement to stay up to date on the latest on the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. Read news articles, watch videos, or view photos of latest events. Short articles offer information about Sochi such as information on the city and the sports venues, the election naming Sochi as the host site for the Olympics, and information about other candidate cities. Choose links at the bottom of the page to explore similar information for other Olympic host cities both past and future.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Bookmark and share this site with students to stay current on Olympic news and information. Have students explore the site on their own then choose an article to share with the class. Create a newspaper about the Olympics using a site such as Zinepal (reviewed here). Click to "Start with a blank e-Book." Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Easel.ly, reviewed here or Venngage reviewed here.

Prepare for the 2014 Olympics with these fast facts about Sochi, Russia. Information includes a short background on the city of Sochi. There is also background on controversies surrounding the choice of a Russian city for the Winter Olympics. Explore an interesting timeline beginning with the choice of Sochi for the 2014 Olympics through November 2013 with the Olympic torch's involvement with a spacewalk as part of the Olympic torch relay.This site includes advertising.

Welcome to the official home of the 2014 Olympic Winter and Paralympic Games. Explore the site to learn about Olympic events, the culture of Sochi, and view schedules for all events. Choose the mascots link to learn more about the Olympic mascots and their place within the Olympic games. Some portions of the site may appear in Russian, choose the link at the top of the page to view in English.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site to use as a resource during the Olympic games to find information on scheduled events and venues. Share the Paralympics portion of the site as part of your unit on disabilities. Have students create timelines of the Olympic Games (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Capzles (reviewed here). Have students use facts from this site to make Bingo cards, or board games for small groups to enjoy. Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on values on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Ask your students to visit the site and create a multimedia presentation about teamwork. Have students make a mash-up using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge Tools reviewed here. Have students use Fakebook (reviewed here) to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about any of the Olympic athletes past or present.

Learn, explore, and discover the realities of political redistricting through this intriguing game. Explore how abuses undermine the system and learn about reform initiatives. Play each of the five missions in the fictional location of Jefferson. Choose from basic or advanced levels. To move through each mission, you must achieve mission goals and receive approval of the legislature as well as the governor. Following that, the plan must pass any court challenges before receiving approval.

In the Classroom

This game is a MUST during any unit on the electoral process or about Congress and Congressional districts! Introduce the ReDistricting Game on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Allow older students to explore on their own or in small groups. Take screen shots of different redistricting options and have students share their experiences in mapping out favorable and non-approved districts. Challenge students to create presentations arguing why their redistricting plans are the best. Use a tool such as Genial.ly, reviewed here to create online interactive posters, infographics, or presentations.

If you are looking for a general informational site about the 2014 Olympics, this is the site for you! Learn about the sports (alpine skiing, curling, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and more), view video clips, watch a countdown (with days, hours, minutes and seconds), and more. Read and follow the information on athletes to watch as the games begin.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

This is a great site to use for research about the 2014 Olympics. Share the video clips on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have individual students view different video clips and then write about what they learned on your class Olympic Wiki. Not comfortable with wikis? Check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.

Sail the Book does what we all wish we had time to do: it pulls together works of literature--all of which are focused on maritime themes--and uses Google Earth technology to bring them to life. With so many online resources out there, it's great to encounter a truly well-integrated interdisciplinary site that draws on the strength of 21st century technology to transform classic literature. Each of six books, including Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle, is presented in full text form, chapter by chapter. Each chapter is accompanied by a "tour" linked to Google Earth, and here is where the fun begins! The tours include a number of Points of Interest that open in Google Earth as well as questions and activities that link to passages within the text. Taken as a whole, this is an interdisciplinary approach at its best, combining geography, history, science, art and literature into one tidy package. If you aren't sure where to get started, visit the Video Tutorials to learn more! The video clips are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Developed by a teacher, Sail the Book is exactly what all good teachers wish they had time to do: create imaginative, integrated units that take advantage of today's technology. Sail the Book could be used in conjunction with a regular classroom study of one of the works of literature included. However, a reasonably self-directed student could undertake an independent reading of any of the books, using Sail the Book to gain further insight. Alternatively, the "tours" might help struggling readers or non-native readers get the most out of these works, helping the words come to life through more visual terms. The site seems uniquely suited to a multi-disciplinary setting like a gifted enrichment class, where students are free to pull from a variety of curricula--science, literature, geography, and history--to add value and rigor to the traditional classroom. The site is easily adaptable. Use one chapter. Use one full book. Do the tours with the activities or without the activities. And once your students have done a tour, ask them how THEY might construct a tour of their own related to some other work of literature they love. Creating their own could be an ideal unit for a gifted classroom or for gifted students going above and beyond the "regular" unit.

Take a look at the science behind changing leaf colors with this interesting site from Explore Asheville. View a time lapse video of changing colors, learn about the early Greek's theories on why colors change, and find out about changing colors around the world. Information is presented in videos, Google Earth files, and slides. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare changing leaf colors in North Carolina with those in your area. Challenge students to create online, interactive posters, infographics, or presentations using a tool like Genial.ly, reviewed here. Set up a Twitter exchange with another classroom around the country to compare changing leaf colors in your communities. Looking for more ways to use Twitter in the classroom? Read more about Twitter at TeachersFirst's Twitter for Teachers page. Find additional fall color sites on TeachersFirst to explore other locations.

Backpack Practice, available only via Google Chrome, offers practice with skills from preK number recognition through Algebra and ACT/SAT test prep. Choose from topics such as math, science, history, or languages to begin. Be sure to allow the program to access your computer microphone when prompted. Some answers are given as a spoken response. View the image and respond to the prompt: identify the president, say the number of dots on the dice, etc. If unsure, you can pass. Your number of correct responses and passes display on the left of the screen throughout the task. Be sure to speak clearly for Backpack Practice to recognize your response. Our editors did notice that the program sometimes gets behind in "hearing" your response, and we also noticed an occasional typo.

In the Classroom

Share Backpack Practice with students for a quick practice of math facts, continents, presidents, and much more. Explore the various topics available for your grade level/subject area. Challenge students to improve their time or score for completing activities. Since many of the activities require speaking, not typing, this site is useful for all ages and abilities. Provide this link on your class website for students to access at home (if they have Google Chrome).

This free collection uses satellite imagery to show changes in land use across the Earth since 1984. This landing page explains the time lapse project and showcases a group of Featured Sites using time lapse satellite imagery. Enter a city in the search bar at the top to find data from other areas. Note: Keep in mind that imagery may not be available in all areas since the year 1984. This tool however shows exactly how areas have changed in many key areas such as the Amazon Rainforest, Dubai, and Las Vegas. Look at other natural areas such as the Aral Sea or the Columbia Glacier. This site uses Google Maps and/or the Google Earth browser plugin, so pretest it to be sure it works on the computer(s) you want to use in a classroom.

In the Classroom

Use on an Interactive Whiteboard or projector to see the land use changes in various locations "happen" in an instant. Discuss the reasons for the changes or brainstorm possible reasons. Use this as an introductory activity to various ecology or environmental topics. Research the native plants and animals displaced by human expansion in these locations. What environmental impacts are occurring in these areas? How have other locations changed in response to new uses such as Marcellus shale drilling, mountaintop removal for coal, etc? Discuss the possible changes and search out time lapse images that show changes. Have students create a "wanted" poster naming the "villains" who caused lasting damage to the environment, using a tool such as Poster My Wall, reviewed here.

WordSense.eu is part dictionary and part thesaurus, based on Wiktionary information. Type in any word in the search bar to view word origin, definitions, synonyms, and more. This site provides a multitude of information about the words. Click on underlined words within a definition to view their definitions. Our editors note that this is an unabridged dictionary including words not appropriate for school. Discuss consequences of inappropriate use and/or avoiding using this resource with immature students. .

In the Classroom

Use Word Sense on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to explore word origins, definitions, and more. This is a great site to use as a resource for a word of the day or word of the week. Choose a word and have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as Wordle (reviewed here), Tagxedo (reviewed here), or WordItOut (reviewed here). Share this site on your class website or blog for students to access at home for writing projects. Use this tool to decipher words when studying word roots and affixes. As students prepare for the SAT, have them explore and attempt to figure out words based on roots, etc.

The Cuban Missile Crisis offers a great resource for learning and teaching about the 1962 missile crisis. Explore the site to find many primary documents, an excellent timeline, and lessons. The Educators section of the site includes many tools such as lesson plans, reading lists, and videos. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site (or save it in your favorites). Use the resources for any unit that includes the Cuban Missile Crisis, presidents, or John F. Kennedy. Watch videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share a link on your class website for students to view at home. Have students use Fakebook (reviewed here) to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about any of the characters involved with the crisis. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare the point of view of the U.S. vs Cuba or to compare outcomes based on possible decisions made during the crisis.